Five Songs: Perfect piano
I love the piano. I think it’s possibly one of my favourite instruments in music as it can convey more than just one feeling. Some bands have used it as a main instrument and have tried experimenting with ways to make it sound new and exciting. Here are five of the best.
1. Space Dementia by Muse – One of my all-time favourite Muse songs from their best album, 2001’s Origin Of Symmetry. The track goes through so many gears, starting with a quiet piano intro before turning into a piano-led rock monster, followed by an outro that lasts a whole minute and a half. It’s ridiculously bombastic, but it bloody works.
2. Clocks by Coldplay – By listing Coldplay I know that credibility shoots down below the floor (I never had credibility anyway so I don’t lose a thing in that department) but this is a genuinely well constructed song. The hypnotic piano melody that is played throughout is one of the best pieces of music the band have ever composed.
3. Videotape by Radiohead – There have been a lot of piano driven songs in the career of Radiohead but this reflective song from In Rainbows is one of their career highlights. It starts off with Thom on the piano solo repeating a mournful sounding chord structure before the electronic drums and layered crooning lift the song to ethereal status.
4. Martha My Dear by The Beatles – Knockabout bluesy piano fun from the flawed White Album. It’s a combination of jangly piano, uplifting brass and a brilliant refrain (“Hold your head up you silly girl/look what you’ve done”) that make this wonderfully constructed pop song a joy to listen to.
5. Great Gig In The Sky by Pink Floyd – Richard Wright was a key part in the jigsaw of Pink Floyd and this composition from Dark Side Of The Moon is one of his finest moments. You know when the piano starts playing that an explosion of epic proportions is forthcoming and it does in an almighty vocal performance from Clare Tory.
Your suggestions are more than welcome.
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Posted on April 29th, 2009 by Max
Filed under: Five Songs, Tracks
“By listing Coldplay I know that credibility shoots down below the floor”
YOU should shoots down below the floor…
And yet, no Ben Folds anywhere.